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While checking out Twitter over the weekend, I saw a tweet from @GustavoLlamas (local rider and one of the BikeTown winners) showing fellow riders of the Saturday, September 12 edition of Critical Mass Miami at a pub. The gentleman pictured had a shirt that called my attention, so I asked Gustavo to post a pic that showed the shirt better. Indeed it said what I thought it said:

Needless to say, I want one for myself and my wife as well. An email, and a couple of Facebook messages later, I’d been informed the shirts were made by Emerge Miami for the Critical Mass ride and were being sold for $15. Alas, they only made S, M, L on this first print run, so my “fuller” frame will have to wait until the next batch for one. Okay, make it two.

If you are interested in getting one, drop by this Facebook page and leave a comment. Like me, I’m sure you’ll be contacted soon enough. I’m also sure that a more efficient sales method will show up soon as well (I almost said “will emerge” but I decided to spare you the pun).

As we stand on the threshold of autumn (for whatever that is worth in Miami), and with it a new season of Bike Miami Days, I can’t help but be excited. What started as a one-day event back in November 2008 has exploded into a whole entity, now with seven all-day ciclovías under its belt, as well as a handful of rides to tie people over during the hot summer months. During that time the event has grown and attracted more and more sponsors, ranging from commercial endeavors to non-profit organizations, which has helped extend the experience from “just biking around” to (if you’ll permit me the grandiose language) a celebration of community.

I wrote the above about a week-and-a-half before current news on the possibility of there being no Bike Miami Days in the fall became available. I decided to leave it because it expresses how I feel about Bike Miami and why it is important enough to keep around. Perhaps we’ll get good news, Bike Miami Days will be back on the schedule, and the above will once again fully apply. As we ponder the future of Bike Miami Days, I’d like to talk about some things I would like to see in future events, features that I think will enhance the Bike Miami Days experience and help the general cycling community in Miami at the same time.

#1. Lights & Bells For Every Bicycle

Florida Bicycle Law requires every bike that rides at night to be equipped with both a front and a rear light.

Lighting (see Section 316.2065, F.S.)
A bicycle operated between sunset and sunrise must be equipped with a lamp on the front exhibiting a white light visible from 500 feet to the front and both a red reflector and a lamp on the rear exhibiting a red light visible from 600 feet to the rear.

I cannot count the number of bikes I’ve seen riding after sunset that have no lights at all; at most they have the reflector that came with the bike when they purchased it and that’s all. We need to educate all riders, especially the casual ones, that having lights on their bikes is the law. The ideal here would be to have a partnership with a bike shop or bike light manufacturer so that discounts and/or free samples can be given out.

Likewise, though Florida Bicycle Law does not require it, every bike should be equipped with a bell. Every bike. Even you, Lycra speedsters. Just like every car needs a horn to signal, so does every bike. A loud “excuse me” when the rider is already on top of pedestrians/other riders is not acceptable. Bells are de rigeur in countries with high bikeability because they are essential parts of the riding experience. I’d love to see a company donate a large number of bells that can be given out to Bike Miami participants (perhaps these can even be branded with Bike Miami stickers!).

#2. Bike & Ride Support from Miami-Dade Transit

Miami-Dade county’s public transit already has in place a good Bike & Ride program for bicycle commuters. I would love to see a kiosk with representatives educating people about this program, answering questions, processing and handing out Metrorail bike permits (currently these can only be obtained at the Government Center Metrorail station or by mail – why not online baffles me) and teaching people how to properly use the Metrobus bike racks (right). For a double-whammy, have folks there also from Tri-Rail (though maybe not, considering their bicycle policies seem a bit off-putting).

#3. Bike Miami-branded Merchandise

Frankly, this should have been instituted right from the second Bike Miami Day event! By the end of the inaugural Bike Miami in November I wanted a T-shirt and stickers with the Bike Miami logo (which actually changed from that very first one used to the current one). I wanted to show my support by wearing that shirt around, and I still very much do. I have a feeling of this being a case of Bike Miami team members being overwhelmed by their regular daily duties plus the event work to have time to get this done. Silk screening on T-shirts is fairly inexpensive, especially in bulk quantities, so Bike Miami shirts aren’t that unfeasible; sold at $25 or so, depending on how many were printed, these could pay for themselves fairly quick and bring in some extra revenue. (Click on the image for a larger version)

Aside from T-shirts, stickers are another great an inexpensive way to spread the news about the event. I would go with both bumper stickers and 2″-3″ round stickers right off the bat, as these are the most versatile sizes.

I, of course, am assuming that most Bike Miami fans are rabid about the event like me and would buy all these branded items.

#4. Support/Presence from Bike Companies

Though ultimately this is out of the Bike Miami team’s hands, I’d love to see bicycle manufacturers and other related bicycle companies sponsor and present at the events. Bicycling Magazine has already sponsored a Miami edition of BikeTown, so get them to return with a kiosk. Has anyone other than me noticed the high number of Electra bicycles present at Bike Miami Days (starting with our very own Willow)? Let’s call them and get them to come down. Same thing with Trek, Giant, Jamis, Schwinn and any other major manufacturer (if you want to really target it, start going through the photos and picking out bike brands). Be bold and call emerging/new to the area companies; brands that are starting out or entering a new market could benefit from the exposure. While at it, call Lazer Helmets and Bell (helmets & accessories) as well. You get the idea: if it’s a major bicycle article manufacturer, call them up and try to get them to sponsor and present at the show. Events like Bike Miami and the (hopeful) adoption of programs like Miami 21 make the city an emerging market in serious bicycling, and these companies have a chance to make an early and important impact on consumers.

Got thoughts on these ideas or further ones? Let me know in the comments.

This last weekend I came across two fantastic bicycle-themed T-shirts that deserve to be shared.

The first one was spotted at BikeTown Miami, on Thursday 8/27. Worn by Mike Lydon (of Transit Miami and part of the group driving the Miami Bicycle Master Plan), it boldly states what every cyclist in Miami is thinking: MORE BIKE LANES! A companion shirt to that one I’d make would read: MORE CONSCIENTIOUS DRIVERS (or something to that effect in less polite language, though this is Miami and I know when I’m pushing my luck). I forgot to ask Mike where he got his shirt, so if I find out later I’ll make a note of it.

The second was spotted Saturday night in Publix at Collins and 65 St. I was about to leave when I saw this dude (whose name I forgot to ask) wearing it; I had to take a pic and he was nice enough to take a moment to indulge me. The shirt reads: CITY MPG ? | Fuel Economy Information | HIGHWAY MPG ?. I thought it was brilliant in its graphic simplicity and direct message, and the green color was spot on as well. This one I did find online, so you can pick one up at Threadless Tees: Infinity MPG.

I’m going to be making Slow Bike Miami T-shirts for us to wear at the Bike Miami Days & Rides, but I’d also like to make some more general ones as well. Checking out all the bike T-shirts out there gives me ideas.

If you see some neat bicycle-themed shirts, let me know, yes? Use the comments to this post or the Contact form provided.